Chapter 2: Page 36

This week, Clovis teaches one of his underlings a thing or two about close-quarters combat training. When you’re dealing with an enemy that fights as desperately and savagely as the Ermehn, the Canid training regimen must step up accordingly.

Even for strong warriors like the Canid, who have more endurance than most of the other species in the Four Kingdoms in addition to more weight they can throw around, the rapid movements and lighting-fast strikes of their Ermehn enemies can confound even Deltrada’s finest. This means one must fight with finesse, and cannot rely on strength alone.

This week, we have another fun piece of guest art from Veigue, showing our main trio and a few others grabbing a meal together in a hibachi restaurant, staffed by Veigue’s BWD-themed human character!

As I mentioned earlier, there aren’t any humans in the world of BWD (or hibachi restaurants, for that matter!) but I do love the idea of the gang putting aside their differences and enjoying a good bit of teppanyaki. I also love how Kenosh is knocking back a cup of sake with a hand around the bottle, ready to go for another one at a moment’s notice. He’s probably concerned about his image, sitting between two Ermehn in a restaurant with more than a few Canid wandering about!

Discussion (29) ¬

Clovis’s intense face takes the cake for favorite panel this week, but it’s hard to tell which expression is the next best one; the look on Kenosh’s face, or the look on Dakkan’s while he’s looking at Kenosh’s face. I am really, really identifying with Quinlan right now. That would be my reaction too buddy. But at least now we have a completely solidified image of how the Canid treat their assault on the Ermehn and the hardiness of soldiers, and how Clovis in particular thinks.

As for the guest art, everything Veigue sends in is so colorful and warm, and it just makes me happy to look at. Despite the clash in company and Kenosh preparing to get alcohol poisoning, it still seems like everyone is going to have a pleasant time.

I think there’s a charity fund set up for that. PPB Syndrome is one of the largest leading causes of injuries for participants in comics with dynamic panels, and it incapacitates hundreds of characters every day, making their thread in the narration a serious struggle. I suggest you donate to the charity whenever you can. Remember: a Punctured Panel Boundary can lead to Punctured Personal Boundaries, and no one wants that.

You figured under the presence of such camaraderie he would at least show some class but wow (and lol)……..I guess hell hath no fury like a Canid General who expects his/hers soldiers to be 100% competence. I could just imagine Clovis now, seeing the breeze blowing in the wrong direction and the next morning making a scene at the whole atmosphere for messing up his his fur that day.

and Dakkan has the perfect “I should start appreciating my dad more…” face. Seeing Clovis’s attitude now, I can tell things will go super bad once Hardin goes Rambo on Deltrada. Jokes aside, I really enjoyed this page! I love all the expressions here!

Yep. Veigue’s riotously colourful guest art continues to be pleasing. I wonder who ordered the huge pile of cocaine?

And hell’s bells and buckets of blood! You are right about Kenosh’s expression! It looks like he’s about to cross some kind of grumpy event horizon. I wonder if his face will ever be the same again? On the upside he can now boil water just by looking at it.

Is that a lady canid at the top there with the halberd? Seems less craggy looking than the others.

I love the expressions, all of them, on this page and the sword breaking panel boundaries. But why did you change the sword arc’s direction? In the sketch it looks nice when it starts in another panel, and makes the movement super dynamic.

This is great! Not a whole lot to comment on during this series of panels, except for Clovis. What he is saying makes complete sense, you won’t question that, but it’s his expression in the second last panel that makes you wonder about his mental health. He’s glaring at the dumby like it’s a real person, hackles all raised and such. It’s kind creepy. I mean he didn’t have to slice the thing in two to make his point, but it seems that once he gets worked up, he /needs/ to ‘kill’ something. The fight between him and Hardin is going to be good once the Ermehn’s attack.

And the last frame, possibly the most interesting one of the page, the trio of mixed emotions. Quin is just Quin, gawking like he’s never scene violence before, or a commander snap quite so easily as Clovis. Every time I see that expression on him, I just picture how he must have had a very soft and gentle childhood. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, but a good way. I mean he felt safe and protected with probably a loving mother and father and a grandfather that probably doted on him (until he turned scout that is); but as such, has left him rather sheltered.

Dakkan and Kenosh are an interesting pair in this as well. Kenosh looks ready to bark out something and Dak is giving him the look of “don’t do it.” Perhaps it will prove ironic that Kenosh warned Dak to hold his tongue in the presence of the Canid when it appears Kenosh is going to make his own outburst.

Hmm, this insight in to Clovis’ character makes me wonder about General Tosch. Clovis makes it sound like Tosch is rougher and less friendly about things, but I’m getting the impression that Clovis is not really one to be trusted and that his words are as empty as his sympathy for others. Something tells me Tosch has a better head on his shoulders (hence why he was in the capital and not Clovis) and although he may not like some people, he doesn’t hide it. I don’t know. Just a feeling I’m getting.

Looking forward to next week when we see if Kenosh blows up or not! ;)
Cheers,
FT

Ok, something has been bugging me about this page…
The grey Canid’s facial expression in the first panel doesn’t seem to match (or flow) with his other expressions from both this page and the previous one.

In the first panel of this page the grey Canid’s face appears really confident and strong. However, in all other panels his face communicates the feeling of vulnerability or weakness (or maybe just shock).

Not too sure if this critique was helpful. I’m not exactly good at this sort of stuff but I thought I would give it a shot.

This was the intent, yes. Though in the second panel, he did indeed go straight to nervous a bit too quickly. I’ve made an edit so he retains a little bit of his bravado until Clovis snatches his sword. c:

Makes me think of the old “Chinese curse” (probably not Chinese but in any case) which is said to be the first of three curses in increasing level of severity.
“may you live in interesting times” is only the first level. Supposedly the next level of severity is
“May you attract the attention of your superiors.”
The “pup” definitely feels cursed right at the moment.